Over 80 per cent of senior business people read The Irish Times in the Republic and it is also the leading paper on an all-Ireland basis, according to the first Irish Business Readership Survey. It shows that The Irish Times with a combined readership of 65 per cent for the Republic and Northern Ireland, well ahead of the Irish Independent, with 42 per cent.
The survey was commissioned by The Irish Times and The Belfast Telegraph and was conducted by Research Services Limited (RSL) which collated responses from almost 700 senior business people on both sides of the Border. RSL also conducts the European Business Readership Survey in conjunction with, among others, the Financial Times, The Economist and the Frank- furter Allgemeine Zeitung. The businesses covered were industrial and commercial enterprises with 250 or more employees, as well as other leading companies, in terms of turnover, employing 150 people or more in total.
In the daily market The Irish Times retains a dominant position among business readers in the Republic, with average issue readership of 83 per cent, followed by the Irish In- dependent (56 per cent) and the Financial Times (33 per cent). The Belfast Telegraph is the leading business paper in the North, with 80 per cent reading it on average.
Looking at the weekly market, the survey shows that The Irish Times's "Business This Week" section is the market leader with a readership of 71 per cent in the Republic and 55 per cent on an all-Ireland basis. The Sunday Independent came second with 64 per cent of readers in the Republic and 48 per cent on the whole island.
According to the survey, 92.5 per cent of all company directors and vice-presidents in the Republic - and 100 per cent of the chairmen/presidents - read The Irish Times's business pages. Individuals were asked: "Which publications is it important for you to read in your job?"
Of those who answered, 72.6 per cent of readers in the Republic said The Irish Times, 20.3 per cent said the Finan- cial Times, 18.5 per cent said Business and Finance, 17.9 said the Sunday Business Post and 16.4 per cent said the Irish Independent. When the same question was put to respondents in Northern Ireland, 49.2 per cent said the Belfast Telegraph was the most important publication to read in their job, with 35.9 per cent saying the Financial Times.
The Irish Times is considered by 10.4 per cent of Northern Ireland readers as the most important publication to read in their job. On an all-Ireland basis, The Irish Times was well ahead, with 60.9 per cent of readers saying the newspaper was the most important publication to read in their job, 23.2 per cent said the Financial Times, 15.4 per cent said Business and Fi- nance and 15.1 per cent said the Sunday Business Post.
In the monthly magazine category, Finance led in the Republic with 23 per cent and Computerscope had 18 per cent, followed by Irish Com- puter with 13 per cent and Technology Ireland with 16 per cent. In the North 47 per cent of business people read Ulster Business and 21 per cent read Management Today. The survey also questioned business people on a range of other issues. It showed that there is stronger support among leading business people in the Republic for European Monetary Union (EMU) than in Northern Ireland.
Almost 90 per cent of business people surveyed in the Republic said EMU was a good idea. This contrasts with Northern Ireland, where 45 per cent did not agree that it was a good idea.
There was greater optimism about future economic prospects among those surveyed in the Republic. Almost 76 per cent of respondents from the Republic agreed with the statement that the economy will improve over the next 12 months. Just over half of those surveyed in the North thought the economy would improve, although the the survey was conducted before the IRA ceasefire announcement.
According to the survey, 45 per cent of business people in Northern Ireland agree that trade with the Republic is improving in their sector. In answer to the same question, 65 per cent of business people in the Republic did not agree with this view.
Technology is an increasing feature of business, according to the survey: the respondents in the Republic (86 per cent) and in Northern Ireland (91 per cent) agreed that the internet was a serious business tool and 64 per cent of respondents in the Republic said they relied on electronic information in their work. In Northern Ireland, 53.8 per cent of business people interviewed said they relied on electronic information.
However the item of most direct interest to The Irish Times's readers may be the survey finding that the average salary of executives reading the newspaper in the Republic was £66,312, with a higher figure of £73,735 for readers in the North.
